This invention is directed generally to pellet dispensing devices and more particularly to a device for dispensing chemical tablets into a well in response to water flow from the well.
Many homes are not connected to water supply lines but are connected to water wells including pump means for furnishing water under pressure to the home. It is frequently desirable or necessary to treat the well water to purify the same. For this purpose, there have been provided devices for periodically dispensing pellets of chlorine or the like into a well.
There are several problems associated with the use of presently known pellet dispensing devices. One problem is the difficulty of dispensing the correct dosage of pellets into the well. Devices which are electrically responsive to operation of the water pump in the well will dispense pellets into the well even if conditions are such that only air is being pumped. Similarly, water conditions within the well may change over time and may be effected by the frequency of use of the well so that the correct dosage for a given well may vary from time to time. Another common problem is the difficulty of dispensing pellets one by one due to the accumulation of pellets at the discharge opening of the device. Finally, the chemical tablets stored within the device may lose chemical gas at varying rates depending on the temperature within the pellet chamber.
There are also unresolved problems associated with the maintenance of the pellet dispensing devices. For example, if the device becomes inoperable due to a pellet lodged within the dispensing apparatus, the inoperative condition may go unnoticed until the next inspection or until it is detected that the water delivered to the house is not being purified. These problems are resolved by the chemical tablet dispensing device of the present invention.